we are heading down for our first trip staying from Monday, June 10th through Monday, June 17th. How terrible are the crowds and are there “best days” to visit universal? We are planning 2 days at universal (me, DH, DS 15 and DD 13) will that be enough time to see everything? We are also doing discovery cove for a day and planning one day a sea world and one at the water park. Any advise is greatly appreciate as this is our first trip to Universal, Sea World or Discovery Cove. I love disboards and appreciate all the great advise I have read on here over the years for Disney!
How terrible are the parks the week of June 10th?
- Thread starter Ariel853
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bobbie68
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2009
Hi I have gone usually the week or two after and summer crowds are in full swing. The time in June you are going could be busy. I am in the Northeast and out schools are scheduled to get out on June 7th. I know as you go further down south they get out earlier. It won't be in full swing yet but something where if you are going to do only two days you would want the express pass if possible. Where are you staying? If you were to stay in one of the three deluxe on site resorts you could get express pass for check in day and check out day for each person in the room. If you didn't want to move if you are off site you could book it as a throw away room to get the express pass.
It is going to be tough to see everything in two days at that time of year. If you go from opening to closing then yes you can. It depends on how you like to tour. This won't leave you much room to re ride things you like. You will need the park to park ticket if you want to ride the Hogwart's Express.
If you are going to stay off site with no early entry or express pass you need to go there about half hour before park opening to get in with the general crowd. I find with most parks in general Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays are your best days to visit for crowds. If you are going in with the general public I would go to the HP worlds for a few hours then leave and go back in the evening they slow up a little. However, if Hogsmeade has the light show again this June it will be busier there at night.
If you get the express pass you won't really have to have a plan just an idea of what you want to do. If you decide to not get the express pass or do early entry you will have to have more of a plan.
In the studios Jimmy Fallon and Fast and Furious use the same virtial queue as Disney do you will have to go to the ride and get a time to come back if you don't have the express pass.
I did Discovery Cove two years ago and that park you don't have to worry because they only sell about 1,200 tickets per day. It is not crowded. In fact I am doing Discovery Cove this year and the Sea World parks too. I will be learning about the Sea World parks this summer.
Enjoy!
It is going to be tough to see everything in two days at that time of year. If you go from opening to closing then yes you can. It depends on how you like to tour. This won't leave you much room to re ride things you like. You will need the park to park ticket if you want to ride the Hogwart's Express.
If you are going to stay off site with no early entry or express pass you need to go there about half hour before park opening to get in with the general crowd. I find with most parks in general Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays are your best days to visit for crowds. If you are going in with the general public I would go to the HP worlds for a few hours then leave and go back in the evening they slow up a little. However, if Hogsmeade has the light show again this June it will be busier there at night.
If you get the express pass you won't really have to have a plan just an idea of what you want to do. If you decide to not get the express pass or do early entry you will have to have more of a plan.
In the studios Jimmy Fallon and Fast and Furious use the same virtial queue as Disney do you will have to go to the ride and get a time to come back if you don't have the express pass.
I did Discovery Cove two years ago and that park you don't have to worry because they only sell about 1,200 tickets per day. It is not crowded. In fact I am doing Discovery Cove this year and the Sea World parks too. I will be learning about the Sea World parks this summer.
Enjoy!
We are staying at the Royal Pacific so we do get the unlimited express pass. I don’t want to feel super rushed so it sounds like 3 days may be the way to go even if we don’t spend a full day on the 3rd day.
Do you also suggest Aquatica? We get the unlimited pass for sea world and Aquatica based on our discovery cove option. (Ps thanks to the person who posted the blue Friday deal on here!)
We are usually on the go families but like to have some time to relax and enjoy the hotels - at least that is how we are on the Disney vacations. From some other posts it sounds like all the parks are not open as late as Disney. So i don’t want to overbook but want to take advantage of the tickets and time we have there.
Thanks again!!
Do you also suggest Aquatica? We get the unlimited pass for sea world and Aquatica based on our discovery cove option. (Ps thanks to the person who posted the blue Friday deal on here!)
We are usually on the go families but like to have some time to relax and enjoy the hotels - at least that is how we are on the Disney vacations. From some other posts it sounds like all the parks are not open as late as Disney. So i don’t want to overbook but want to take advantage of the tickets and time we have there.
Thanks again!!
bobbie68
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2009
Hi that is good that you are going to be at RP with the express pass. I think putting 3 days whether you use the full third is good.
I also got the blue Friday Special and posted it in the Sea World thread. I will be going later in June. When we did it two years ago we did not take advantage of the 14 day unlimited pass and do Sea World, Aquatica and Bush Gardens but will this year. Gina Gina Bobina, who has a trip report on Sea World Parks, has a good part on Aquatica. It is a smaller water park but gets a lot of positive reviews we are going to try it out this time. We also like to spend time at the resorts and do the same with Disney in the past.
These parks will close a little earlier then the Disney ones but still plenty of time plus early entry. Personally we put a week in at Universal and just enjoy the parks and the resorts. We don't get bored and have plenty of time to do what we want. I like the fact that these parks are so close to the resorts that you can go back and rest then go back and not feel like you lose a lot of time like some Disney resorts.
I really like that the blue Friday special gave the free parking and Bush Gardens. We are trying to fit a day to go there as well. We will be skipping Universal this time and only focusing on the Sea World parks. We have been going every summer for several years and we will miss it, but I can't do both this year due to my budget.
You're welcome!!
I also got the blue Friday Special and posted it in the Sea World thread. I will be going later in June. When we did it two years ago we did not take advantage of the 14 day unlimited pass and do Sea World, Aquatica and Bush Gardens but will this year. Gina Gina Bobina, who has a trip report on Sea World Parks, has a good part on Aquatica. It is a smaller water park but gets a lot of positive reviews we are going to try it out this time. We also like to spend time at the resorts and do the same with Disney in the past.
These parks will close a little earlier then the Disney ones but still plenty of time plus early entry. Personally we put a week in at Universal and just enjoy the parks and the resorts. We don't get bored and have plenty of time to do what we want. I like the fact that these parks are so close to the resorts that you can go back and rest then go back and not feel like you lose a lot of time like some Disney resorts.
I really like that the blue Friday special gave the free parking and Bush Gardens. We are trying to fit a day to go there as well. We will be skipping Universal this time and only focusing on the Sea World parks. We have been going every summer for several years and we will miss it, but I can't do both this year due to my budget.
You're welcome!!
gibsontrio
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2008
We are going the same time as well 
NC schools let out the week before. I have a feeling it will be busy 
NC schools let out the week before. I have a feeling it will be busy 
CyndiLooWho
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 20, 2009
We have been to Orlando 4x during that approx week, every 3 years. UO crowds were very manageable the 2 trips we did there (2012, 2015). Disney was more crowded (2009, 2018).
Our most recent UO visit was in 2015, less than a year after Diagon Alley opened, and we found it to be very manageable. We stayed offsite, so no EP, but we rode everything we wanted to ride (except MM) multiple times over the course of the week, and were out of the parks by 2pm almost every day. We rode Gringotts with about a 75 min wait on a Sunday evening, and waited about 20 min for FJ. The next longest wait was on our last day, when the guys waited 70 min to ride (BBRB). It was a Friday and it was HOT; everyone wanted to get wet. But most of the rides that day were manageable waits. We didn't do all the roller coasters bc the boys didn't want to go upside down (I love 'em, but they're ride chickens - it was 2018 before I finally got one on a big coaster - he was 16 at the time).
In 2009, it was a very rainy week, so the parks were mostly deserted, even though the rain was mostly light or just drizzle. We just put on ponchos had a great time. Our boys were too young for the big coasters that year, but we did literally everything else and left the parks before dinner both days (we also did Legoland that year). UO in the drizzle is amazing. Short waits and lots of fun.
Our most recent UO visit was in 2015, less than a year after Diagon Alley opened, and we found it to be very manageable. We stayed offsite, so no EP, but we rode everything we wanted to ride (except MM) multiple times over the course of the week, and were out of the parks by 2pm almost every day. We rode Gringotts with about a 75 min wait on a Sunday evening, and waited about 20 min for FJ. The next longest wait was on our last day, when the guys waited 70 min to ride (BBRB). It was a Friday and it was HOT; everyone wanted to get wet. But most of the rides that day were manageable waits. We didn't do all the roller coasters bc the boys didn't want to go upside down (I love 'em, but they're ride chickens - it was 2018 before I finally got one on a big coaster - he was 16 at the time).
In 2009, it was a very rainy week, so the parks were mostly deserted, even though the rain was mostly light or just drizzle. We just put on ponchos had a great time. Our boys were too young for the big coasters that year, but we did literally everything else and left the parks before dinner both days (we also did Legoland that year). UO in the drizzle is amazing. Short waits and lots of fun.
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